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This is a giving and joyous time of year…and there is excitement in the air … anticipating a New Year and what marketing will hold!

In this season of giving, it comes to mind that successful lead generation is also really about just that…GIVING. Giving and helping our target audience is key to successfully generating leads. Prospects are naturally attracted when they sense the spirit of giving. They open up and listen. Start giving…bits of helpful information, tidbits and tips, shortcuts and highlights…

But… rest assured… we want to make one quick statement… Do NOT give away your services… Prospects expect to pay for valuable services. Not only will you hurt yourself by giving away services, but you will hurt your entire industry. Just attract your prospects with gifts that help them. This will help you in return!

May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas holiday! We looking forward to connecting with you again after the first of the year!

In the meantime, if you need us, please feel free to email us.

Did you get our FREE e-paper – 10 Marketing Steps for 2012?! Go here to get it:

As I mentioned in my last blog post, surveying your target market can demonstrate that you are truly interested in the success of their industry.

Developing an appropriate survey is dependent on:

1.) The needs of your target audience

2.) How your product/service solves those needs

3.) Developing the right approach to demonstrate the benefits you can provide

If you have a list of prospects with whom you are regularly emailing, doing an email survey might be the place to start. As with any email, the subject line is critical. It is important not to come across as if you are selling something. Your subject line might be:

– Help solve (one of the noted pains in the industry you are targeting) OR
– Do you have a solution for (one of the noted pains) OR
– Solving (the pain) yields more profits

Then, if you can, in the body of your email immediately tie your “story line” to the subject line. In this way, the reader will feel satisfied right away that you are truly continuing with what grabbed their attention.

Your story might be an example of a client’s success. It could be some statistics that show when (the pain) is solved what it yields. It is important to be short and informative… don’t get off subject. Your reader is busy and is reading to obtain some value or satisfaction.

Whatever your “story” might be, it should lead to prompting them to take the online survey. Try to give them a compelling reason to do this. Tell them how it can help them potentially solve a pain of their own. Think about it from their perspective… So that even if they don’t know you, they will see benefit in taking the 1 – 2 minutes to complete the survey.

If you don’t already have an email list, your best next step might be to cold call a list of prospects. You might be thinking… “no way!” Stay tuned… It isn’t as hard as you think… especially if you truly care about helping your target audience…

Depending on where you spend your winter, you may be in a cold or in a warm climate. If you are like me, it is cold outside and everytime you leave home or the office, you need to bundle up. No fun!

Some people look at their B2B Lead Generation Program as that cold place to go. . . no fun! But it doesn’t have to be that way! Read on to warm up to some ways to make your lead generation marketing time a fun place to be.

First, let’s think about why you even do lead generation to begin with…

1.) To help people/businesses enjoy what you have to offer

2.) To warm someone else’s life because your product/service will make their day (or their year)

3.) To enhance the experience your customer/client has in one way, shape or form.

Doesn’t that warm you up, just thinking about how you can help others with what you have to offer?

Second, do all of your prospects understand the benefits of what you offer or do?

1.) Warm up with some ideas of how to “warm up” your prospects… What is the easiest way for them to experience your warmth? Can they see it? Taste it? Feel it? Smell it? Do something warm to grab their attention.

2.) Remember that not everyone will understand the benefits the first time they see or hear about your product/service… Think about warm ways to drip those benefits on them

3.) Can you email them something warm every few weeks? Send them to something special on your website? Offer them some warm information that will capture their attention…

Finally, think about how you can tell if your prospects are “warmed up.”

1.) Did they open your email? Call them and say that you sent them an email and just wanted to follow up by phone.

2.) Did they download something from your website? Call them ASAP… most likely they’ll be surprised that you care enough to do it!

3.) Did you send them something warm in the mail? Touch base with them by email… another touch.

In Pensacola, we talked to the CEO of a company who might ultimately become a prospect. His company is developing software to be used in a niche market. The software is easy to use, and he plans to develop it so that it can be integrated easily into a marketing package. Hurrah! That’s what we like!

But, this was supposed to be vacation!

Taking a break from business wasn’t easy, but it is necessary. It seems to be the best way to “replenish” and “refresh” one’s self. Here are my suggestions when taking a break (or a vacation):

1.) Try to get your work to a point that things can go “on hold” so you can “let go”

2.) Plan enough time to allow yourself to disconnect (I need two weeks)

3.) Before you go, sketch out your plans for your time away… make them fun and interesting

4.) Allow yourself time to relax, but keep focused on enjoying the time

5.) Don’t waste time… It is important time and valuable to your career

6.) Disconnect… totally disconnect… it is good for you!

If you follow these instructions, getting back into routine once you are back in the office shouldn’t be too difficult! It allows you to take a whole new look at things in a refreshed way.

Yes, I’m looking forward to taking some time off over the next two weeks so you may be missing a few blog posts. But, a break from lead generation?

Well, maybe not! That’s tough to do!

However, I’m still maybe a little bit from the old school… as I like to totally disconnect when I’m on vacation. No email, limited cell phone use, no business phone calls. The mind should disconnect for a while… take a vacation, too.

But, it is difficult for me to stop my mind from thinking! So, guess what … the lead generation aspect of my mind probably won’t be on vacation.

We plan to take a trip to Door County Wisconsin. Sturgeon Bay… Washington Island… We even have a friend who has a cottage on Lake Michigan. He said we could stop by.

Hopefully, it will be cooler up north than it is here in Illinois as we have had record temperatures. We’ll see!

Back to the lead generation when on vacation… Remember this:

1.) Every situation can present itself as a possible lead generation situation in its infancy

2.) When you are in a new place (like on vacation), think about who/what/how might fit into your lead generation program.

3.) As you engage with people when your on vacation and business somehow fits into the picture, ask for their business card.

4.) If you engage in any transaction while on vacation with a business that you think might be a potential lead, ask if you can contact them when you are back to work.

5.) Most of all let your mind go… leads might just come automatically when you aren’t thinking about it! Especially when you are on vacation!!!